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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — goods
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com